The Indianapolis journal., 1887-11-29
CATHOLICS In THE LATE WAR.
Father Cooney's Lecture on the Loyal Service
They Have Rendered the Country.

larger audience than has usually attended
the lectures of the Leonine course was at Ma
sonic Hail. last evening, to hear Rev. P. P.
Cooney, C. S. O., talk about his experience in
the civil war He is of medium size.
with an intelligent firm face. His hair is slight
ly tinged with gray. He was we'll known in the
army chaplain of the Thirty-f fifth Indiana
Volunteers. and afterwards on appointment re-
eeived recommendation of Governor Morton.
As chaplain general of the Indiana troops He
makes his home usually at Notre Dame and is
engaged chiefly in missionary work, He said he
had recently read lecture by Mr.. Mason to
a congregation of Baptist ministers He said
one of the great dangers to the country was
from Romanism. 81 wondered" said Father
Cooney. 'if he knew there were any Catholics in
the army. He reminded of Henry
Ward Beecher. who met an Irish
ma the streets of New YORK
during the war, and asked him why he was not
at the front Why ant you there yourselfr
says Pat. Because l belong to the army of
God said Beecher. .Begorrah, then 1 think
You are a long wars from headquarters.'
''The Catholic Church has right to be here
She existed as the one and only true church for
fifteen hundred years, and carried civilization
to every country where it exists to-day. She
came to this country with Columbus and plant
ed the cross here. Now people saw she is for.
eiguer. The Catholic Church does not deal
with political systems. She conforms herself
the best prop and stay of an established govern
ment under which she exists. At the begin
ming of the revolutionary war there were at
least million Irish settlers in America-about
one-third of the whole populatlon-and nearly
all of them were Catholics. Dir. Gordon. in the
House Of Parliament in 1888, said that mora
the Irish language was commonly spoken
English. Mr.. Galway and General Robinson
corroborated this statement in their examina-
tions before the committees of Parliament.
in
memoirs, that before the. French came to our
aid, and that comparatively late in the war,
there were one hundred Irishmen to one of any
other foreign nation In the ranks of the Amer
lean army. George Washington accepted
membership in the Sons of St Patrick. and
complimented them on their firm adherence to
the American Washington was accus-
toned TO make ST. Patrick's day holiday for
his army, and TO appoint an Irish officer OF the
DAY out OF respect to he majority OF his army,
which was Irish and Catholic. And now the
irish are declared TO be enemies of the country
they helped to establish
''lt is scarcely worth while TO offer evidence
or the service of Catholics in the late war 1t is
conceded that Irish troops have endurance, for
titude and valor in the highest degree. de-
slare tnat the vaior of the irish troops is due 10
the fact that they are Catholics. The Thirty
fifth Indiana was always given nosts of honor
and always held them nobly. They were al
most without excenton Catholics 1t is folIv 10
talk OF Catholics being enemies of freedom. Re-
lgious liberty Was first established in TINS coun-
try by Catholic MARYLAND Bancroft states this
fully ana Ireeiv. Inc public laws of the colony
guaranteed liberty of conscience to all men, un-
til the Puritans got in majority and made laws
Injurious TO Catholics.
1.-The Catholic Church does not admit the
right of private Judgment in interpreting the
Scriptures, nor in interpreting the Constitution
of the United States. 1t was the use of private
Judgment that caused the rebellion The Arti-
les of Confederation provided that the union
fhould be perpetual The Constitution declares
itself to be for the purpose of forming "a moro
nertect union,' and IL closes with a declaration
that the Constitution is the supreme law of the